Ayomide Awe
The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has warned politicians and other political actors against recruiting, arming or financing Nigerian youths to perpetrate violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Disu said the Nigeria Police Force would not tolerate attempts by political actors to use young Nigerians as tools for settling political differences or attacking perceived opponents.
The police boss gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja at the National Youth Leadership and Security Dialogue organised by the Nigeria Police Force to mark the 2026 International Youth Day.
He also cautioned political leaders against inciting youths, promising them protection after committing crimes or mobilising them to disrupt the electoral process.
Disu said the police would protect the integrity of the electoral environment but would not shield those who engage in violence.
“We will protect the integrity of the electoral environment. But let me be equally clear, we will not protect violence. We will not tolerate the recruitment or mobilisation of young Nigerians for political violence,” he said.
The IGP urged political leaders across the divide to desist from arming or financing youths to attack their opponents.
He said, “Do not recruit our young people to fight your political battles. Do not arm them. Do not finance violence. Do not incite them against their fellow citizens. Do not encourage them to commit crimes today and promise to protect them tomorrow.”
According to him, Nigeria cannot achieve a secure and prosperous future by destroying the generation expected to take over the country’s leadership.
Disu also warned that electoral violence was no longer restricted to physical clashes, noting that social media and other digital platforms had become increasingly important tools for spreading content capable of triggering violence.
He identified misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, cyberbullying, impersonation, deepfakes and coordinated online attacks as emerging threats to Nigeria’s democratic process.
“These are increasingly capable of damaging reputations, inflaming communities, provoking real-world violence and undermining public confidence in democratic institutions,” he said.
The IGP consequently appealed to young Nigerians to exercise restraint and verify information before sharing or acting on content circulated online.
He said youths must understand that their activities on social media could have consequences beyond the digital space.
“To every young Nigerian holding a smartphone, I say: your digital footprint is part of your citizenship. Before you forward a message, verify it. Before you publish an allegation, establish the facts,” Disu said.
He also urged youths to consider the possible consequences of inflammatory posts before publishing them.
The warning comes amid concerns over political violence and killings associated with electoral activities, particularly following the recent Osun State governorship election.
Members of rival political parties were reportedly affected by violence in the build-up to the election, including the reported killing of Dele Ayegbo, a nephew of the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress campaign council, Wole Oke, two days before the poll.
However, the police have maintained that some of the clashes and killings recorded before the election were cult-related rather than politically motivated.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the IGP’s warning places renewed focus on the role of political parties, security agencies and young Nigerians in preventing the use of youths as instruments of electoral violence.
The police are expected to intensify measures against the possession and use of weapons for electoral purposes, voter intimidation, destruction of property and other activities capable of undermining peaceful elections.
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